Indian climber Baljeet Kaur was found alive today, a day after she went missing on Mt Annapurna (File)
Kathmandu:
Baljeet Kaur, a 27-year-old prominent Indian woman climber was rescued today, a day after she went missing near Camp IV of Mt Annapurna while descending from the summit point, an official of the expedition organiser said.
Baljeet Kaur, who scaled the world’s 10th highest peak without using supplemental oxygen on Monday, was rescued from 7,363m after an aerial search team located her above Camp IV, Chairman at Pioneer Adventure Pasang Sherpa, was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times newspaper.
“She has suffered from frostbite and is now being rushed to CIWEC Hospital from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu,” Mr Sherpa said.
Baljeet Kaur was seen descending alone towards Camp IV by the aerial search team, according to Mr Sherpa.
The leading Indian woman climber, who was left alone below the summit point, remained out of radio contact till this morning, the report added.
An aerial search mission was initiated this morning only after she managed to send a radio signal asking for ‘immediate help’.
According to Mr Sherpa, her GPS location has indicated an altitude of 7,375m (24,193ft). She climbed Mt Annapurna along with two Sherpa guides at around 5:15 pm on Monday. At least three helicopters were mobilised to trace her.
In May last year, Baljeet Kaur, from Himachal Pradesh, scaled Mt Lhotse and became the first Indian climber to have climbed four 8000-meter peaks in a single season.
On Monday, Anurag Malu, a resident of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing while descending from Camp III of Mt. Annapurna.
A team of five Sherpa climbers has been conducting a ground search for Malu, the report said.
According to Mingma Sherpa, chairman at Seven Summit Treks, Noel Hanna, the first person from Ireland to reach the summit of K2 during the winter season, died at Camp IV last night. Hanna’s body was also brought back to Kathmandu on Tuesday, the report said.
Indian climber Arjun Vajpai was also evacuated from Camp IV along with Pakistani climbers Shehroze Kashif and Naila Kiani after they fell ill while descending from the summit point, Seven Summit Treks’ Expedition Director, Chhang Dawa Sherpa, was quoted as saying in the report.
Annapurna is the tenth-highest mountain in the world, standing at 8,091 metres above sea level.
It is well known for the difficulty and danger involved in its ascent.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
